Travel to Esna
Esna
is the site of the only locks
on the River Nile
an impressive New Kingdom temple
Esna is a medium-sized town on the west bank of the River Nile in Egypt.
Lying around 50km south of Luxor and 150 km north of Aswan. Esna is a popular stop for cruise boats travelling along this stretch of the river.
The city was known in ancient times as Latopolis, taking its name from the Nile perch, which used to be prolific in the area and which are heavily represented in the sculptures on the buildings that remain from the period.
Temple of Khnum
The main historic site is the Temple of Esna, which was primarily dedicated to the god Khnum. It lies within the town, just a couple of blocks back from the waterfront, so easily accessed on foot from the dock.
The temple dates from the reign of Thutmose II (1493-1479 BC) during the New Kingdom Dynasty. It features an impressive collonaded facade and massive colonnaded interior, supporting a massive stone ceiling. The temple also contains very late hieroglyphic inscriptions, dating from the reign of Decius (249–251 AD) during the Sasanian Period.
The town itself has significant remnants of the Mediaeval Period (641-1517 AD) and there are some unusually interesting streets to explore, centred on the understandably touristy Al-Qīsāriyya Market, whose layout may well date back to Roman times, with a wide range of authentic local produce for sale.
Perhaps the most significant feature of the area is the barrage and lock, through which boats are obliged to pass. During busy periods this can lead to delays of multiple hours, which is why some of the better cruises do the 50 km between Luxor and Esna by road and only operate their boats upstream of the barrage.
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Map
Esna is almost always visited by boat, usually as part of a cruise between Luxor and Aswan. Please refer to either of those locations for information on the various boats and cruise options.
Although the area can easily be reached by road, there are very few accommodation options here. Most people arriving by road do so on day trips from hotels in Luxor.
accessed by boat or road from Luxor
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